Do you say "Its Monday and its time to smoke pipe X with Y tobacco" or do you think to yourself "What pipe would I like to try tonight and what tobacco would I like to smoke?"
I am probably in the second group.
Bub

I am in the second group for sure though the tobacco is rarely in question. Actually of all the pipes that I have there are probably about 5 that I always gravitate towards.

At Home: Its almost always a Balken Mixture in whatever pipe I happen to grab.

In the truck its usually an English or Va mixture in whatever pipe is closest.

The wife doesn't like the smell of burning Va so I try to avoid it at home.

The only exception to any of this is Thursdays. On Thursday I smoke P Stokkebye Navy Flake in a Stanwell HCS IV.

Right now I only have 2 pipes. I have one dedicated to J.M. Boswells blends and 1 for any other blends. I'm hoping to add some more pipes to the rotation as i'm really getting into pipes and pipe tobacco.

I like to sit and pick out just the right pipe. I love going through my pipes and handling each one, looking for the one that is just right.

Howdy.

I have three groups of pipes: one for Latakia blends, one for VAs, and another for everything else. In each group, the pipes are arranged in order, like in a carroussel, and I go through them in a fixed sequence. So, depending on the desired blend, I go to the appropriate group and take the next in line. It takes about three to four weeks to end the three groups and restart it all over again.

I suppose this is a very common arrangement, but it is very expedite and trouble-free. It also reflects the fact that my interest in pipe smoking resides mostly in the tobacco, the pipe being just a tool with secondary importance.

I pick out a tobacco first, then pick out a pipe to go with it. I've found that any pipe in working order will do just fine, but sometimes my pallate is picky about tobacco blends. I like both latakia blends and burley blends, but if I'm in the mood for one and try the other the results are always disappointing.

I also first choose the tobacco, depending on mood, then the pipe.

I have 24, but My work pipe is a Cob, I have several, but when I want to smoke , the reason I use cob at work, if they break its cheap to replace, home pipe is just which ever hasnt been smoked lately.

i pick what i want to smoke 1st, then the pipe to match-since i'm still in my 1st year back to piping, i'm still in the process of breaking in a few pieces, those get the most attention

I generally just close my eyes and pick a pipe. If I can't decide on a tobacco I just grab the first thing I see. For me the pipe and tobacco put me in a mood. I don't let my mood influence my choice. Although like I said in a prior post I'm really enjoying the Dunhill A2000 so when I can't decide I usually somehow pick that particular blend. I think it's all up to the person and how they feel.

I have a modest collection of 34 pipes. I try to make sure that I smoke everything at least every month or two so I make a point of picking up pipes that haven't been smoked recently.

I tend to smoke a high end pipe on Friday night--just a tradition--and I often smoke a Boswell on Saturday morning. Boswells are largely single tobacco pipes, one for SG FVF and another for Boswell's Burley, for example--tobaccos I don't smoke that often.

Other than the three exceptions (smoking the unsmoked, Friday night for a high end, and Saturday for a Boswell), I just pick based upon how long I have for a smoke or just whim. 90% of what I smoke is some variation on an English or Balkan so the tobacco usually doesn't dictate the pipe.

I don't/can't smoke until I get home from work.I start thinking on the drive home
about what tobacco and which pipe,very pleasant thoughts indeed.I've got 50 pipes
or so and about 20 different tobaccos on tap[in mason jars for prompt access],such
an enjoyable decision.

Winslow

I usually will pick the blend first and then which pipe to smoke it in second. I have certain pipes that do Virginia's or Burley's better than English blends so I pick accordingly.

i'm kind of reverse on what you posted in the original post...

i think of tobacco first, then i browse over what pipes i have dedicated to that type of tobacco. sometimes, i have to go with my 2nd choice if both my "lakeland" pipes are at work... or, my 1 Oriental pipe (or 1 latakia pipe) are in the pipestand on my desk at work and i'm at home.